News

New Zealand Unlikely to Reach 70 per cent of EU Sheep Meat Quota

24 November 2014

NEW ZEALAND - The 2013-14 New Zealand lamb export season concluded on 30 September, and the latest figures released from GTIS indicate that total disposals were back three per cent year on year, according to Declan Fennell from the Meat & Livestock Division of Bord Bia – Irish Food Board.

The reduction reflects the smaller lamb crop of 2013, however, improved grazing conditions and higher carcase weights meant some of this decline was offset, as total lamb export production fell by just 1.4 per cent to reach 368,133 tonnes.

The European Union continues to be New Zealand’s number one market destination, accounting for almost forty per cent of volume exports and 50 per cent of export receipts.

Total chilled lamb exports into the EU for the 2013 -14 season as a whole were back 8.5 per cent.

This compares to a 1.6 per cent decline in chilled exports to non-EU markets, which reaffirms New Zealand's commitment to developing emerging and growing markets in the US, Middle East and Asia.

Overall, 2013-14 was a positive year, with the average value of chilled exports to the EU up 13 per cent to €7,526, compared to €6,678 in 2012-13.

New Zealand quota usage up to mid October 2014 stood at 58 per cent, and all indications would suggest that quota usage for the 2014 calendar year is unlikely to surpass the 69 per cent of 2013.